Design and performance testing of a satellite health beacon receiving station

As part of its space operations research program, Stanford University's Space Systems Development Laboratory (SSDL) is implementing an automated state of health assessment and notification system for spacecraft. Onboard the spacecraft, this system consists of software that filters telemetry to derive a health assessment and a periodic beacon that broadcasts this assessment to the ground. Throughout the world, a network of low-cost receiving stations receives the beacon signal and relays it to a central mission control center via the Internet. This paper addresses the design and development of a beacon receiving station. Each station is designed to be approximately an order of magnitude lower in price than a conventional two-way ground station. Emphasis is placed on making sure the station is highly autonomous, requiring little or no assistance from the host site. The stations are made up of only three separate components-an antenna, a receiver, and a personal computer.